Covert Compassion
by Lemur Gaminq
Summary: Fox and Wolf got very close during Wolf's time in Brawl. The only thing is, is that Falco doesn't know about it. Since Wolf was absent for the last Smash, Fox is happy to have him back in Ultimate. Let's just hope that Falco doesn't find out... (Cover Art by: Sles-Doodles Tumblr)
1. Chapter 1

The cockpit door of my Arwing pops open and I feel the warm air hit my face. I pull myself out of my seat and jump out of the aircraft. I turn and see my teammate and friend, Falco, do the same.

The blue avian waved, "Hey, Fox, that was a great flight to get the blood rushing! Did you see the loop I pulled off?"

I roll my eyes, "Yeah, you shouldn't do stuff like that, could be dangerous." Falco could be very cocky and wild at times, and it sometimes gets himself into trouble.

"Fox 'Killjoy' McCloud as always. Do you have to be so stuck up all of the time? It's almost time for the fifth Smash! Let loose!" Falco exclaimed, throwing his wings into the air.

"You're always 'letting loose', so, I have to compensate." I retort, throwing a playful punch at the avian's side. "Let's go, the train should be here any minute."

We continue to walk to the usual place where the train picks us up. This train travels between universes and picks up the fighters that participate in what is called The Smash. The first one was held a while ago. That one was just called the Original Smash. After that was the Melee Smash, or just Melee. That one was my best performance and I won the entire thing. Melee was also Falco's first Smash. After that was the Brawl Smash. That was the one Wolf was invited to. The next one the organizers must've gotten lazy, as it was dubbed "The Fourth Smash". Wolf wasn't invited to that one for some unforeseeable reason. He did pretty well and didn't have too bad of manners. I was very disappointed to find out that he wasn't invited to the Fourth Smash. During Brawl, we had secretly gotten close. Very close. We talked everything out and set aside our differences and we ended up forming a relationship. Also, by "secretly" I mean we kept it from Falco. Everyone else figured it out quickly but Falco is… dense. Plus whenever he was around we would play it off as normal and hope he didn't smell us drenched in each others' scents.

As we make our way to the usual pick up area we notice a figure standing there waiting as well. The familiar scent hit me like a truck.

"Wolf!" I shouted, getting the canine's attention.

His ear twitched and he turned to look at who dared call his name. When he saw me he simple rolled his eyes. "Oh, it's you." He said, slyly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask chuckling. I also take the time to look Wolf up and down. He's changed his look. Instead of a grey color pallet, he's instead went with a purple one. He has a new purple jacket with some new shoulder-pads as well. He's also added some spikes and blades to his boots. His eyepatch is no longer digital, now a normal leather patch. Finally, I notice the reddish-purple bandanna around his neck. _That's the same style as mine._ I think to myself. _I'll have to ask him about it later._

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"The same as you," Wolf said as he pulled an envelope out from his jacket pocket. The envelope dawns the signature circle cut into four parts that the organizers use as a symbol for Smash.

"You got in?" Falco pipes up from behind me. I had almost forgotten about his existence.

"Yeah, got a problem with it, Seagull?" Wolf questions with a heavy dose of venom.

Falco steps in front of me, almost getting in Wolf's face. "No, but we can make it a problem right here, right now." Falco states, raising his wings in a fighting stance. Wolf only smirks as he takes a step towards the blue bird.

I take this as my que to jump in and play mediator. I squeeze in between the two and push them away, which proves to be difficult as they are both standing at 6'2, while I'm a puny 5'8.

"Enough, you two, wait until the Smash then you can beat the hell out of each other all you want." I proclaim, shoving the two away.

Thankfully, we begin to hear a loud whistle in the distance. All three of us turn to where the noise is coming from and see the bright, white, hovering train pulling up to our location. We almost have to squint to look at it. It comes to a stop and the doors open, revealing a train cabin decked in blue fleece walls and floors with wooden tables and nice comfy booths to sit at. We board the train and Falco wraps his wing around my shoulder and leads me away from Wolf, who is trudging to the back of the train.

"What a dick…" Falco whispers into my ear. We soon approach a man in red with blue overalls and a red cap with a large "M" on the front. "Ey, Mario!" Falco exclaims, raising a wing for a high five from the plumber. The sound resulting from the gesture is resounding and leaves Falco waving his wing in pain. "I forgot, you pack a punch for your below average size…" Falco says.

We make our way towards the front of the train as it starts to move again, throwing us off balance and into a wall. "Woah there." Falco says, throwing me a wink. I roll my eyes. We approach what looks to be Princess Zelda from the Hyrule Kingdom and some guy in a blue tunic.

"Hey, Zelda!" I say tapping the princess's shoulder. Zelda was and is my wing-man when it comes to Wolf. usually I would go to Falco, but I can't with this kind of thing.

"Hey!" Zelda exclaims, throwing her arms around me. I return the hug from the slightly shorter princess and look towards the guy in the blue tunic.

"And you are?" I ask, extending a hand to the young man.

He shoots he a confused look, "You don't remember me? It's Link silly!" He says, playfully punching my arm. I gape, looking at Link. He's really changed his look. Instead of his signature green tunic and cap, he dons a blue tunic with super long blond hair.

"Wow, you've got a new look!" I compliment, chuckling.

"Yeah, decided to change things up a bit." He responds, sitting down and taking a bite of a cookie that the train provides to its passengers.

"Did you bring your gift, Fox?" Zelda asks, adorably tilting her head like Wolf sometimes does when he asks a question.

"Of course!" I say, pulling a small box from my jacket pocket. Every Smash since the Original, we've set up a gift giving event where, before we, go we draw names from a hat and while we're waiting for next Smash, we get that person a gift. Everyone's required to bring two gifts. One for the person they drew and one for any newcomers or returning members that didn't get to draw at the last Smash. Also, if anyone who was drawn doesn't return to the next Smash, either a newcomer gets the gift, or someone from their universe can take it to them when they get home. When Wolf didn't return for the fourth Smash, his gift was given to Bayonetta since neither Falco nor I would've been able to give him his gift.

For Melee, Pikachu got me what was called a Sitrus Berry from his universe. I ate it while I had a stomach ache and it ended up curing it! For Brawl, Luigi got me a new vacuum. For the Fourth Smash, Meta Knight got me what he called a "Pep Brew" and after drinking it I couldn't sleep for three nights because of how much energy I had. This year, I drew Samus, which is great because I just had Slippy make her a blaster as she likes to shoot and we frequently go shooting together to relieve stress. For my other gift, I got a small model of an Arwing, as whenever I mention I'm a pilot, someone always asks what I fly. Zelda has become the unofficial leader of this tradition over the years.

"Great! You can put your gift in here!" Zelda says excitedly, holding out a small pouch. I eye it suspiciously.

"Sorry, but my gift won't fit in there." I say, comparing the size of the box to the size of the pouch for effect.

"Yes it will, just try!" She exclaims, smiling innocently. I do as she says, attempting to slide my gift into the pouch. Sure enough, my gift slides right in, despite being easily twice the size of the pouch.

"How-" I stutter in amazement.

"You know I can use magic, silly!" Zelda says. I do remember now. She has a lot of magical powers that is able to do things that would otherwise be impossible. I slip my other gift into the small, but infinite, pouch.

After that, I decide to start making my way towards the back of the train to try and meet up with Wolf. As I make my way to the caboose, I run into a certain goddess and her angel.

"Palutena! Pit! Good to see you again!" I saw, waving my paw to catch their attention.

"Oh, Fox McCloud. The feeling is mutual." Palutena says, respectfully.

"You know you don't have to act so formal around me, right?" I tell Palutena. I can barely get my sentence out before the intercom chimes in.

"The train is now coming to a stop. Please take a seat."

"Must be picking someone up!" Pit exclaims, clearly excited.

"Oh! We're in the Fire Emblem universe!" Palutena states, visibly excited.

Wolf and I weren't the only ones who found love during our time at the Smashes. Palutena and Lucina ended up getting really close and starting a relationship. The doors open and I see a flash of blue as Lucina jumps into Palutena's arms. I smirk as the rest of the Fire Emblem cast boards the train.

I decide to let them have their moment and continue on my way to the back of the train. As I get closer to the rear, I start to pick up Wolf's scent. There's a hint of his cologne but I'm so used to his natural scent that I can easily tune that out. I finally reach the last car and take a deep breath. I finally get to see him again and I'm actually able to not act like I hate him. I open the door and see Wolf and Bowser sitting on opposite sides of a booth. They both look at me and Wolf puts on a mischievous grin.

"Excuse me Bowser, but could you give the pup and I some time alone? Also, make sure that no one comes back here for me." Wolf says in his gravelly voice. They way he called me "pup" and looked at me made my face flush. Bowser nods and gets up from the booth. As he walks past me he winks.

"Go get 'em tiger." He chuckles and pats my back.

As the door shuts behind us, Wolf gets up from his seat and starts his way over to me. I meet him halfway and wrap my arms around him, drawing in his intoxicating scent through my nostrils. His scent fills my head and makes me dizzy, but I love it.  
"Miss me?" Wolf says into my ear. I just give a slow nod into his chest, not wanting to talk. All I want to do is rest in his arms like this forever. The team has been low on funds lately and I've been stressed because of it. We stand there for a few minutes before Wolf releases the hug and lifts up my chin, bringing me into a kiss. His lips are rough but soft at the same time. He has a secret, gentle side that I've only seen him use with me.

After that, Wolf and I just end up sitting in a booth together and chatting for the rest of the ride. Thankfully, we weren't interrupted and we got to catch up on each other since the last time we actually got to chill. Soon, the intercom blares through the train.

"Now arriving at The Smash Resort. Prepare to depart."

Wolf and I stand up and get ready to get off the train once it has stopped. As we wait for the doors to open, Wolf slides an arm around my waist and pulls me close.

"Nice to have you back, pup. I've got to admit, I've missed ya." He says, with a voice filled with love that Wolf doesn't usually use.

"I've missed you too." I reply, smiling. The doors open revealing a beautiful resort in front of a setting sun. "Let's get ready to Smash." I say, stepping out of the train and throwing a wink to the canine behind me.

I'm so glad to have him back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated this story in awhile! I've been super busy with classes and robotics that I haven't had time to write. I've seen the reviews that said you guys can't wait for more and I can't thank you all enough for the positive feedback! Alrihgt, onto the chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

I walk away from the train and down a path that leads to a small hut. The sign on the hut reads "FIGHTER CHECK-IN". I get in line right behind a small, yellow dog.

"Hey, are you a newcomer?" I ask, tapping the small canine on the shoulder. The yellow dog turns around with a big smile.

"Why, yes I am! I'm Isabelle from the Animal Crossing universe!" She exclaims, brightly. Her excited attitude is already overwhelming.

"Oh! Welcome to Smash, then. I'm Fox McCloud!" I respond, reaching out a paw. She firmly takes it in both hands and gives it a violent shake. Just before I think my arms around to fall off, she stops and turns back around.

"Nice to meet you! Can't wait to meet you on the battlefield!" She says, not even facing me. I don't know whether it's because of her cute demeanor or what, but her saying that feels… off. The line moves rather closely and I don't even have to show ID and proof of invitation because they know me so well. I start making my way to the hotel to check into my room and see how it is. I get to my hotel room and I'm stunned.

The room is beautiful. It's a large, modern suite with a full sized bed and gorgeous wooden floors. There are two nightstands next to the bed, made of metal and glass. The kitchen and dining area is rather large for a hotel. It's all stainless steel and there's even a few gold fixtures. Just as I start to drool, I hear my door quietly open and shut. Instinctively, I draw my blaster and slide up against my kitchen wall. Footsteps can be heard coming towards the kitchen. Just as they get close enough, I jump out from behind the wall, swiping my left leg low. This takes the intruder's legs out from under them. I take this chance to get on top of them and shove my blaster in their face.

"Who are you and why are you here-" I shout, only to recognize a very familiar beak smirking back at me. "Falco?"

"Heh, you really caught me off guard." The bird chuckles and pokes the blaster away from his forehead.

"Why are you just sneaking into my room?" I ask, putting my blaster away.  
"Oh, y'know," He smiles slyly, "just checking up on my wittle foxxy woxxy~" Falco says, mockingly. I roll my eyes so hard, I'm almost sure Falco heard them rolling. "I'm joking, but could you, uh, get off of me?"

I notice I'm still on top of Falco and I feel my fur get hot. I get up and regain my composure. "Sorry…" I say, scratching the back of my head.

The avian laughs, "Nah, it's all good. Just like old times~" He coos, winking.

Oh yeah, _that_. Falco and I had went to the Pilot Academy together. There we decided to experiment and got together. After we graduated, though, things went sour romantically. I got over it quickly, but Falco on the other hand, didn't.

"No, not like old times. We aren't together anymore and we never will be." I say, frustrated that he brought up the subject again.

"Why not? We had so much fun during our time at the ol' academy!" Falco says, further pushing the subject.

"Look, if you came here to try and 'Hit me up' or whatever, you can leave. I'm not dealing with this again." I respond, sternly.

Falco steps closer to me, backing me up against a wall. He puts his wings on my shoulders, pseudo pinning me against it. "Alright," he growls into my ear, "be that way. You'll come crawling back to me anytime now, and you know it" He steps back and dusts himself off. "Oh, and remember! The gift exchange is in an hour!" The avian says, throwing a wink behind himself and walking away and out of my hotel room.

I brush myself off and get ready to go to the gift exchange. I make my way down to the main street and walk towards the banquet hall where the exchange is taking place. I walk in and everyone already seems to be there. I spot Falco standing next to Sonic and a chill runs down my spine. I quickly make my way around the crowd and over to Zelda.

"Hey, Zelda! When's the exchange going to start?" I ask, yelling over the crowd.

"Fox! We've been waiting on you! We can start now!" Zelda exclaims, excitedly. Suddenly, a green shroud swirls around her and she disappears. She then reappears, standing on a table many yards away, with the same green shroud disappearing. "Everyone! We can now start the gift exchange!" She shouts, getting everyone's attention.

From there, everyone opened their gifts, getting things ranging from chocolate and food, to weapons and tools.

"Alright, Fox! This one's for you!" Zelda says, handing me a box. The box was 10 inch by 10 inch box, wrapped in gift paper that resembles a starry night. Just from the paper, I knew immediately who it was.

"Rosalina?" I guessed, looking towards the space princess.

"Yep! That's right! Now open it up!" Rosalina says as Luma excitedly vibrates. I begin to unwrap the box and open it. I remove the purple tissue paper to reveal a life size Luma plush. I pull it out of the box and notice its softness and lack of weight. I toss it into the air to test said weight and notice it doesn't fall back into my paws.

 _It floats?!_ I exclaim in my head, flabbergasted. I notice a few chuckles around me and I realize that my mouth is gaping and my eyes are wide. I regain my composure and grap the ultra light plush out of the air. "Thank you Rosalina, this is amazing!" I complement. I then feel a warm, small object bump me in the chest. I look down and see Luma using her tiny arms to hug me. "And thanks to you too, Luma." I say, patting the soft, anthropomorphic star on the back.

Everyone begins to disperse and either go to their hotel or get some food. I, on the other hand, begin to look for a certain someone. I spot the grey canine and look around, making sure Falco isn't nearby. I confirm that the avian is nowhere to be seen and make my way over to Wolf. He sees me and nods towards the hallway to go there instead. I nod back and turn on my heel towards the hall. I walk down the corridor and towards are usual closet that we used during Brawl. I wait next to it and see Wolf making his way towards me.

He gets close to me and growls into my ear. "You ready, pup?"

To answer his question I grab his handkerchief and pull his face close to mine. "I've been ready for years." I then twist the doorknob and open the door. I wasn't expecting to see another couple in the closet. Zelda and Rosalina both scream and shut the door, leaving both Wolf and I in shock. "Did you know about that?" I asked. Wolf just shook his head, still stunned.

After we recompose ourselves, Wolf says, "Let's just head to my hotel room."

"We should go separately so that no one has suspicions." I say, thinking about Falco.

"Right." Wolf responds. "Make it quick, I have a little gift for you."

"Alright, you go ahead, I'll be up in a sec." After that, Wolf leaves me behind and heads up to his room, I wonder around casually, waiting the appropriate amount of time in between Wolf and I leaving. After a few minutes, I start to head up to his room. The room numbers are correspondent to the time each of us joined Smash. This means that Wolf resides in room number 44. I walk up to the room, look around to make sure no one's around, and lightly knock on the door. Almost immediately, the door opens and Wolf grabs me by the collar of my vest, yanking me into the hotel room. He quickly shuts the door with his free hand then pins me up against it, smashing his lips into mine. His scent hits me like a truck, and I'm nearly hypnotized by it. He gently forces his tongue into my mouth. After about a minute and a half of making out, we finally break the kiss, a line of saliva connecting our muzzles.

Wolf chuckles at this and says. "I missed that, it's been way too long." He then slowly pushes his paws under my shirt, making me shiver slightly.

I stop his arms and look away. "We should wait." I say quietly.

Wolf raises an eyebrow. "That's odd, you're always fast to strip for me." He says, chuckling.

"I had a… situation with Falco." I say, looking warmly at the grey canine.

Wolf's face contorts into one of anger and hatred. "What the hell did he do to you? I'll kill that blue cock and you know it!" Wolf says, letting go of me and reaching for the door.

I get in between him and the door just as he reaches for the handle. "He didn't do anything." I say, trying to stop him from going and strangling Falco. He gives me a confused look. "Okay, maybe he did somethings, but it wasn't that bad. Just let me explain before you go off killing someone." Wolf's body loses tension and I take that as my indication to continue. "He basically hit on me and asked me out. When I said no, he then pinned me to a wall and growled threats into my ear. I'm just saying that for now, maybe we should lay low. We can cuddle and sleep together tonight if you'd like." I explain slowly while petting his shoulders to keep him somewhat calm.

He lets out a sigh and pulls me close. "Alright, I can tell you don't want me to hurt him so I'm not going to."

"Don't get me wrong, I'd love for you to teach him a lesson, but I don't think it would really solve anything. Just wait until you're on the stage with him. Then, you can do anything you want." I saw, nuzzling his neck.

Wolf takes off his shirt and starts to get ready for bed. I catch myself staring to the wolf's masculine and muscular body. His pectoral muscles are defined, but not large. This is actually the pattern with his entire body. None of his muscles are too large, but they're very defined. When he comes out of the bathroom after brushing his teeth, he's holding a shiny black box. He grins at me and says, "I know I'm late, but I made you a gift." I give him a confused look, tilting my head a bit. He hands me the box and I open it, revealing a shiny black collar with small chrome spikes around the circumference. I take it out of the box and look at the chrome name plate on the front. It reads "Pup" in fancy font.

"You _made_ this?" I asked surprised.

"Well yeah, I also made all of my armor and clothes." He replies. "I'm pretty crafty."

"Does that include the bandana that looks very similar to mine?" I ask, grinning. I know I hit the nail on the head because his body visibly tenses up. I laugh and walk over to wrap my arms around him. "You're adorable when you're flustered. Thank you, this is great." I then proceed to try it on. There's only one setting but it fits perfectly. Tight but not too tight. I get ready for bed and lay down with Wolf, wearing my new collar.

For the rest of the night, we cuddle and chat about what has happened in the past few years. We do this for a few hours before we finally call it a night and go to sleep. Just as I'm about to doze off, I listen to Wolf's heartbeat one last time. _I haven't felt safe sleeping in awhile. Not with Falco having his sleeping quarters next to me on the Great Fox. I'm glad I'm able to sleep knowing that Wolf will protect me._


End file.
